Thunderstorms cut power to over 125,000 customers across Quebec in sweltering heat

A powerful gust front enters the Montreal region form the north on Thursday evening, the leading edge of severe thunderstorms. Thunderstorms have been occurring everyday during our current heatwave, however this was the first cells that have targeted the Montreal region. The storms knocked out power to over 125,000 across the province. (Photo: Brenda Gartshore)

Heat warning remains in effect for southern Quebec and eastern Ontario.

For the third consecutive day, strong thunderstorms developed across southern Ontario, central and southern Quebec. The storms produced wind gusts of up to 100km/h, with 96km/h at Trudeau Airport. In addition to the winds, as with previous days, there were thousands of lightning strikes.

The result was predictable, with over 125,000 Hydro-Quebec customers left without power, and 250,000 in Ontario. Here in Quebec, the utility has been working all night, lowering the number to 50,000 clients early Friday morning, including 10,000 in Montreal and Laval. In addition to the downed power lines and in some cases utility poles, there was also damage to trees and several homes reported. The storms were moving quickly, which lowered the flood risk in Montreal.

The loss of power comes as we enter day three of a sweltering heatwave, that has pushed temperatures well into the 30s from Ontario to Atlantic Canada.

Here in Montreal, the temperature reached 32.3C (90F) on Wednesday, and 32.5C (91F) Thursday. Parts of Ontario reached the middle 30s, including Toronto at 36C (96F). Record highs stretched across Atlantic Canada as well. If you add in the elevated humidity levels, temperatures felt like the middle 40s for millions of Canadians.

Friday will be much of the same, hot and humid, into the 30s, with a risk of afternoon and evening thunderstorms. The thunderstorms have been potent, but isolated in nature. One firsthand example was Thursdays storm in Montreal. Trudeau Airport measured 23.5mm of rain in less than one hour, while at my weather station located on Ile Perrot, 24 kilometres to the southwest, I recorded nothing.

A weak cold front will move across the Montreal region overnight, bringing in only slightly cooler air but lowering the humidity considerably. The weekend will be partly sunny, with high temperatures in the upper 20s to near 30C.